Have you noticed all the recipes for rhubarb, peas and other spring things popping up? Yeah, me too. I have to admit that it kind of gets on my nerves. I totally get the pressure to make seasonally relevant recipes, but the truth is, seasonally relevant recipes in early April, in hardiness zone 6b and below are generally overwintered root vegetables!

This is what seasonal vegetables look like in Philadelphia in early April. They came from the farm stand exactly like this.

In a few more weeks, we’ll be seeing the bright, fresh, colorful goodies pop up in the markets. We’ll have greens and lettuces galore. We’ll have rhubarb. Now, though, we have beat beets. And wrinkled cabbages. And turnips. And I am SUPER cool with that, because it means I get to eat sauerruben for a few months more.

Sauerruben is punchy and pungent and it has the tiniest bit of horseradish bite. I can’t get enough of it, and I do become a bit of a lady hulk when someone eats the last of the jar before the next one is fermented. I like it fermented on the short side, because that horseradish tang is still really strong, but it will keep fermenting like a champ for a month or more.

A few pretty plates of pickles on a holiday table can be a great way to initiate family members into the cult of fermentation love. I recommend setting out a small but colorful array and I really recommend not forcing them on anyone! If they’re appealing enough, folks will taste and if they like the taste, they’ll be new converts, batting for team fermentation. Here are a few of my favorites to set out in a colorful array.

Asparagus Pickles – These simple pickles are a cheeseboard favorite in my house and they’re one great way to preserve the fleeting season. Asparagus pickles beautifully, but what I like best for display is the color. The tender stems fade to a perfect, mossy green that evokes spring rain in the forest.

Asparagus season means asparagus pickles!

Rhubarb Pickles – Tart, tangy and quintessentially spring, these probiotic pickles will surprise and delight your guests. If pie isn’t your thing, or if you’re just looking for a different way to use rhubarb, this is it!

Chioggia Beet Kvass – No need for the inhabitants of the kids’ table to feel left out, and with a glass of super tasty hot pink liquid, they won’t!

The final kvass is a gorgeous hot pink!

Decorative Pickled Eggs – These will wow. Results will vary based on how cracked your shells are, which ferments you use for coloring and the time you let them soak in the goodies, but there aren’t many bad choices. Kids and adults alike will love these as an edible treat or a centerpiece.

It’s been a long, long while since I’ve done a veg ferment here, but whether or not the calendar agrees, spring has sprung and I’m in the mood to pickle spring things. Furthermore, I’ve been Irish-American by marriage for 5.5 years now, and this pickle is a lovely, light shade of spring green. Perhaps it’s not the shade of a St. Patrick’s Day parade, but I still consider it a respectful nod to St. Patrick’s Day.

Celery may be a surprising vegetable to ferment (or maybe not, you tell me). It ferments very nicely, especially when done with another vegetable in the mix, and the flavors are super fun. It generally remains quite crispy, unless the stalk are very thin (garden- or farm stand-style) or very old and reedy. Although I’m a fan of fermenting vegetables that are a touch past their prime, I don’t recommend fermenting those older celery stalks. The aforementioned reediness gets in the way of my enjoyment, and they don’t tend to crisp up as well as some back of the crisper vegetables do (see photos of the radish I used for this ferment).

Choice of vegetables is always important. While a radish that’s a little aged will ferment wonderfully, I don’t personally like using older celery for fermentation.

Celery Radish Pickles Recipe

Yield: 1 quart

If you don’t have access to heirloom radishes or daikons, you can absolutely substitute whatever radishes you have on hand. Just be aware that the color will be impacted. Green meat radishes (pictured) are pretty spicy, but spicy radishes aren’t a requirement for this recipes. If you’re new to fermented pickling, check out the Pickle Basics Guide before you get going.

4 large stalks celery

1/2 pound (225 g) radish, preferably green meat or daikon, but any radish will do

Rinse and trim celery stalks and radish. remove any soft or unappealing spots on the vegetables, but leave the peels otherwise in tact.

If using a cylindrical radish (such as daikon or green meat) slice into 1-inch thick rounds and quarter each round. If using small cherry bell radishes, halve. If using larger, heirloom radishes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Cut celery stalks crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces.

Place half of the celery pieces into a quart jar. Place the radish quarters on top, then add the remaining celery. This is particularly nice looking with daikon or bright colored radishes (black radishes are great) but your brine will be murkier with anything but white or green and you won’t necessarily get the pale green colored pickles that make me sing spring.

When all the vegetables are in the jar, there should be roughly 1 1/2 inches of space left at the top of the jar. Pour brine into the jar until the vegetables are just covered. Apply your weight, cover your jar and leave at room temperature for 5 days to 2 weeks.

If you’re new to fermented pickling, taste at 7 days. If they taste sour enough, they’re done. If you think they could use a bit more oomph, put the weight back on, cover and let sit for several more days. I prefer these at 2 weeks.

Once they’ve reached your desired acidity, remove the weight, close the jar lid tightly and store in the fridge.

A thick round of green meat radish pairs great with celery when quartered.

Regular readers will know that I love decadent versions of healthful, fermented drinks. I made quite a few delightfully decadent drinks for my water kefir class last week, which was a blessing and a curse. I had to cancel the class at the last minute, which left me with 10 water kefir kits, partially assembled, a gallon of water kefir grains, and 3 gallons of water kefir of various flavors. There were plenty of well-tested recipes, but also a few things I threw in, just for fun. This is the “just for fun” recipe that turned out way better than expected. It is now on the repeat request list (I’m 10 batches in two weeks after I first made it) and I have a feeling I”ll be making a batch at least weekly until death does part my husband and I.

It’s easy to make, too. I was initially concerned that the addition of alcohol (in the form of vanilla extract) might make the oh-so-desirable water kefir fizz fizzle out. As it turns out, not at all. This little bit of vanilla didn’t seem to change a whole lot other than making the flavor rich and creamy, like a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows.

Speaking of creamy, ever wonder where the “cream” in “cream soda” comes from? It’s vanilla! From my past working with some serious vanilla folks, I know firsthand that there are many, many variations in vanilla flavor, some creamier than others. If you’re making your own vanilla extract, I recommend a blend of beans from Madagascar and Uganda for uniquely wonderful flavors. My preferred version of this is made with vanilla extract I made with rum, but any vanilla extract, including store-bought, will do just fine.